The Friday Informer: Come As You Are
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Come on, kids, classical music is fun. Those who say we’re too elitist never saw us tap dance. Also, classical musicians are hip and stylish, but feel free to come in jeans and hang out after work if you want. That’s okay, too. Just be yourself.
Wait, wait, come back: did I mention the naked dancing girls!?!
Yes, folks, I think at this point we can officially say that we’ve done everything we could to attract new audiences to classical music. Perhaps Boulez was right?
Meanwhile here at the ranch, I’ve been doing some digging around in digital media, copyright, and the future of music. Rampant music piracy, as we know, is a serious problem effecting the financial health of the music industry. Major online music services are also limboing under some licensing issues. This has lead to lawsuits. And then sometimes the sued sue back. It’s all very complicated, as you can imagine, and when even a business-model mastermind like Starbucks can’t move a CD, it may be time to rethink the game plan. Record companies are trying their own tactics to capture a slice of the market. Magazines can get into the reindeer games as well.
Though it often seems like it’s taking forever, there are actually lots of new ideas and models out there—artistic and economic—and they are often born in the most unexpected places. People are collaborating in this brave new world. And if you find you’re getting frustrated in rehearsal, it doesn’t hurt to ask the musicians for their input. Actually, there are lots of people giving you their musical opinions these days. You can weigh in, too, if you like.
Planets are strange musical places. So are choirs and Skid Row. If you’re out looking for your own weird and wonderful musical world this week, here’s a joke to take along with you.